Netherland
by: Cody and Robert
Netherland
Economic recovery. World War II left much of the Netherlands in ruins. Many of the nation's factories, bridges, and railroad lines had been destroyed. The great harbor at Rotterdam was crippled. Much of the land was flooded as a result of damage to the dikes.
After the war, the Dutch dedicated themselves to rebuilding their country, and the government supported close international cooperation to achieve this goal. In 1945, the Netherlands became a charter member of the United Nations (UN). In 1948, the Netherlands joined with Belgium and Luxembourg to eliminate all tariffs on trade among themselves, forming an organization called Benelux. In 1949, the Netherlands became part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a defense alliance of European and North American nations.
In the 1950's, the Netherlands helped form the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the European Economic Community. These agencies later became the basis for the European Union, which works for economic and political cooperation among its members.
By 1955, Dutch industrial production had increased about 60 percent over the pre-World War II level. Farm output was almost 20 percent.